Some chassis however allow a front panel slot without removing the entire front panel. You
may simply need to create a suitable slot in the front panel. The optical drive can then slide into
this slot into the chassis from the front, and then reside in one of several available 5.25 inch
drives bays. Your chassis will probably have several 5.25 inch bays. You can choose either bay,
although most users prefer the upper drive bay for ease of access. Many chassis require you to
first remove any temporary, inner drive bay shields, which should be carefully removed. As with
the I/O shield earlier, the bay covers may have sharp edges, so remember to take care.
Once the drive bays are accessible, you can remove your DVD or Blue-ray drive from its packaging and simply insert it, reverse side first, into the bay. Once the drive is in the bay, you can
secure it using the screws included in the drive’s packaging,
being careful to first line up the drive so that it sits flush with
the chassis front panel. You will usually use four screws, two on
each side of the drive, to ensure it’s secure. Many modern
chassis use ‘tool-less’ drive install mechanisms that use latches
or locks to secure the drive in place. If in doubt, consult the
chassis manual or installation guide. Video here
PC Builders Tip 2
When selecting a 3.5 inch drive bay for the hard drives, it’s often a good idea to select a bay
that will offer the best cooling; hard drives are often in constant use within the PC and can
get quite hot. This can lead to drive malfunction in the long term. This is especially true of
your primary partition where your operating system will be installed, as this drive will be
almost constantly spinning when the PC is in use.
The lower front area of most PC chassis will be an area where cool air is drawn into the PC.
You may even find that a cooling fan has been placed in this area specifically to draw cool air
into the chassis. Selecting a hard drive bay in front of this ventilation point is preferable to
other positions, offering your hard drive a better air flow and reduced operating temperatures.
How to Build Your Own PC
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